


The Heat

by Kalloway



Category: Gundam SEED Astray
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-09-02 06:27:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16781440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalloway/pseuds/Kalloway
Summary: Mission complete, out in the desert sun...





	The Heat

**Author's Note:**

> dog_daies Aug 12, 2010, 'life in the heat'
> 
> Originally posted May 16, 2015.

Mission complete-- and all Elijah really wanted was to dump a bucket of cold water over his head and flop under a fan, if there was one to be found anywhere... If Loretta hadn't already claimed it.

"Elijah?" Kazahana had a bottle of water for him the second he descended from his Zaku, and he drank half before dumping the rest on his head. It wasn't quite a bucket, but it was enough for the moment. Nearby, Gai was doing much the same.

"You were supposed to drink that," Kazahana said with a little smile. "I'll have to get you another one."

"Gai, too," Elijah added. He smiled across the broiling pavement to where Blue Frame stood. Reed was telling Gai something, but Gai gave Elijah a tiny little smile back. It wasn't much - then again, Gai didn't ever really smile much, not when someone might see.

"No problem," Kazahana replied as she ran back towards the main building. How she had any energy, Elijah didn't know. She shouldn't be used to the heat, either.

A ground crew came running out and oh, they had hoses and even though they were meant for the machines, Elijah let one of the techs blast a stream straight up so that it rained down cool. A moment later, Kazahana was there beside him, soaked and smiling.

"Not too much," Gai warned as he walked over to get another water bottle from Kazahana.

"We'll just dry," Kazahana protested. But she followed back away, then was asked by another tech to give a hand.

"Let's get cleaned up," Gai said. Elijah nodded, drinking. He didn't even feel cool anymore, just warm and damp. It wasn't terribly pleasant. He'd already been drenched with sweat, after all. This just felt worse.

There wasn't much for running water on the base - everything came from tanker trucks - but there was one small walled off shower area reserved for officers and expensive hired guns. Gai pulled Elijah into it and started stripping him without comment.

"Gai--" Elijah whispered harshly. This wasn't their room. This was... not a very private area. Sure, they were blocked visibly, but Elijah knew how sound traveled.

"Cleaned up," Gai reminded him as he started stripping down as well. Clothing was thrown on a bench. No one would say a thing if they walked the short distance to their quarters in just towels and jackets. It wasn't an uncommon sight, though there'd been a bit more modesty in place since Kazahana and Loretta had arrived a couple of days previous.

"Yeah--"

Gai got the water going - sun-warmed but not hot. It was enough for Elijah to duck under and rinse off, scrubbing rough soap over his skin. Gai followed a moment later, sunglasses still on.

Leave it to Gai to have no modesty about where he was washing the sweat from but oh, he still kept his sunglasses on...

"Back to the room?" Elijah asked as he squeezed moisture out of his hair and grabbed for a towel. Gai nodded. Elijah quickly tied his towel around his waist and grabbed his clothing. He wasn't sure what to expect - he'd been having a lot of thoughts and had thankfully managed not to let them travel.

Once in the room, he dumped his clothing on the floor and flopped onto the single bed he'd claimed as his own and then shifted, tossing the towel off to the side. He was exhausted and felt a little like rubber.

"Are you okay?" Gai asked when he came in. "You did a lot out there."

"It was the heat," Elijah replied, shifting a bit as Gai closed the door and dropped his own towel before picking it up with his toes and grabbing it to hang it on the back of the room's lone folding chair. Elijah didn't see what happened to Gai's clothing or jacket. "I just need to rest."

"I'll let you rest, then."

"You don't have to." It was the closest to asking that Elijah wanted to do. There was nothing awkward about them, but... he just always felt nervous asking. Embarrassed, a bit. Even though Gai knew everything about him.

"Even though it's hot?" Gai asked.

Elijah shifted a bit. He smiled. It was a small bed, but there would be enough room for both of them for just a few minutes. Neither would want to linger. 

It was too hot, after all.


End file.
